


Fall Back Into My Life

by SailUncharted



Category: Gundam Wing
Genre: Angst, Drunken Confessions, Drunken Flirting, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, GW Mini Bang 2019, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mutual Pining, Preventers (Gundam Wing), Sharing a Bed, awkward boys, oblivious boys, the plot is an excuse for them to dance around each other, the plot is paper thin, there's only one bed, tropical island resort
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-08
Updated: 2019-12-22
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:55:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21655630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SailUncharted/pseuds/SailUncharted
Summary: Heero and Duo are told to investigate an arms dealer for the Preventers. The catch is it's a couples-only resort and they have to pretend to be married. Heero is terrified and doesn't know what to do with these feelings. Duo thinks it's his last chance to turn his crush into a reality. At the very least, he can pretend for a little while that it's real. Une thinks she's very smart setting this whole thing up.
Relationships: Duo Maxwell/Heero Yuy
Comments: 10
Kudos: 31
Collections: Unorthodox Undercover Work Mini Bang





	1. Chapter 1

~❤~

Une’s office was Heero’s least favorite place to be. Not because he hated the office or anything. On the contrary, it was quite nice with hardwood furniture and tasteful plants. To anyone else, it might feel stylish, but to Heero, this place only meant one thing: he wasn’t in the field. 

Heero tapped a finger against the polished armrest as he waited. He watched Une shuffle papers behind the glow of her laptop. The rustling of paper and the ticking of the clock accompanied their breathing like a song composed by boredom itself. He dug his heels into the carpet, carving out a crescent in the fibers. 

_ Bang _

The heavy door flew open, but neither party jumped at the intrusion. 

“Good of you to join us, 02.” 

Duo slumped in the chair next to him, throwing a long leg over the armrest. “I wouldn’t miss this meeting for the world.” 

“But you’ll be late for it.” Heero sat up straighter and rubbed the carpet smooth again. Duo’s slouching always reminded him to take care of his posture. How Duo didn’t have a hunch was beyond him. 

Duo laughed and leaned back, lifting the chair’s front legs off the ground. Sometimes Heero forgot how strong Duo was since they rarely worked together anymore. Yet, there he was, lifting a solid oak chair with only one leg. Heero let a small smirk play on his lips.  _ Show off _ .

Ignoring them, Une slid two manilla folders across the desk. “This is your new mission. We have reason to believe that there’s an arms dealer on an island in the Pacific. Please go over the details carefully since you’ll be undercover.” 

Heero picked up the folder and scanned the contents. It was simple; infiltrate the target’s base, download the data, and get out. 

“We’re going to Xian? You’re kidding, right? This isn’t a mission, it’s a vacation!” Duo was practically out of his chair in excitement, his butt barely in the seat. If they weren't with Une he’d probably be jumping up and down like a kid. 

Heero sighed. “This is a mission. We can’t get distracted, there are dangerous people there.” 

“Psh.” Duo waved Heero’s warning from the air. “Easy-peasy. This is child’s play. We’ll be done in no time and get a massage to boot.” He smiled, eyes sparkling with his old, dark mirth and new crinkle lines. 

Heero wanted to stuff this moment in a jar and keep it on his desk. He’d forgotten how bright Duo’s smile was. He’d forgotten the feeling of the room sparking to life as soon as the Death God entered. Duo was so unlike his alias that Heero could never wrap his head around how he’d gotten it in the first place. If it was blood, then surely he had more on his hands than Duo. 

Une glared behind her glasses. “There will be no playing around, 02.” 

Duo slumped back with a pout. 

Heero blinked. Duo’s presence was so encompassing that Heero’d forgotten anything else existed, until Une’s voice yanked him back into his chair. The real world melted into place around him and he looked up, slack-jawed. Une’s gaze flicked to him and Heero snapped his mouth shut.  _ Shit, I hope he didn't notice. _

Duo was flipping through the folder again, not looking at either of them. Heero breathed, counting:  _ one and two and three and _ , as he willed his heart to stay inside his chest. This was exactly why Duo was trouble. 

Once he could trust his voice, he looked Une in the eye. “Xian is a couples-only island. Will we be assigned a…” trailing off, he shifted in his chair. Guess he couldn’t trust his voice after all. What was the name for a person like that? Words like  _ wife _ or  _ girlfriend  _ seemed to stick in his throat. 

“Yes, about that.” Une stood up and walked to the front of her desk. She rested against it, crossing her ankles as she looked at each of them in the eye. “The department can’t afford to send more than the two of you. One ex-Gundam pilot is expensive enough, but two? There wasn't any money left over to get you both an escort.” 

“So how...?” Duo’s eyes widened. “ _ Oh _ .” 

“Yes, you’ll be Misters Solo and Hiroshi Yueru,” Une said, pointing to Duo and then Heero. “A combination of your usual codenames and a surname of my own invention. I think it’s quite nice, don’t you agree?” 

“Yue-- Did you mash our real last names together for an undercover mission?” Duo looked at Une and then Heero in disbelief. 

Heero shook his head, shrugging. He turned to Une. “But why me? Kamille is Duo’s partner, now.” He heard Duo tisk then bury his nose into the mission packet, pouting. It was for the best. He’d get this cleared up and Duo’s partner on the case where he belonged. 

“Are you refusing the mission?” Une’s mouth was set in a straight line and her glasses reflected the lights above them, obscuring her eyes. 

Duo clapped his folder closed. “Of course he isn’t. Heero takes missions very seriously and wouldn’t shurk his responsibilities onto someone else.” 

“Article 21 subsection B Paragraph 4 stats that all Preventers are allowed to refuse any mission assignment if they feel like they are unable to complete their duty,” Une rattled off in the background, ignored by both pilots. 

“Duo,” he said, warning edge to his voice. 

Duo opened his mouth before clicking it shut again. He looked away and Heero couldn’t see his expression.  _ Good. This is the way it should be. _

“Kamille is very capable. I don’t see why I need to be on this mission.” He stood, holding the mission case out for Une. 

Une took it. “Then, I won’t be sending 02 either. Please give me your packet and you may both return to your duties.” 

“No! Wait, Une. Hold on.” Duo grabbed Heero’s sleeve and pulled him to the corner of the office. “Just, hold that thought, okay?” He called out over his shoulder, then turned to Heero, eyes flashing. “You will not ruin this for me. This is  _ Xian _ we’re talking about.” 

Heero was trapped. A ficus to his right and a wall to his left and a Duo blocking the only escape route. He was so close, almost nose to nose as he whisper-yelled his demands. Heero clenched his fits.  _ Those eyes _ . Heero had many talents; he could set his own bones, hack government files, even pilot new age mobile suits like they were Gundams. Saying no to Duo was not one of them. “Fine.” 

“Really? You mean it?” 

He nodded and Duo beamed. 

_ Fuck me. _

Duo spun and marched over to Une, pulling the folder from her hands. “We’ll be taking the mission.” 

Une didn’t bother to answer. She pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose, brown eyes visible once again. She stood, corner of her mouth quirking up. “Debriefing is over. I expect you both packed and ready for departure in two days.” 

Duo handed the spare case file over as they left, the heavy doors thunking shut behind them. Heero put a hand over his heart as he walked, counting. Ninety-six point five beats per minute. Duo always seemed to cause strange feelings in him, but to make his heartbeat as if he’d been running-- that was new. Just the thought of having to pretend to be Duo’s… He swallowed. 

Side eyeing Duo next to him, he made his decision. He’d talk to Une alone, convince her to send Duo with someone else. With reactions like this, he was compromised. That’s why he’d refused to work with Duo for so long. These strange feelings that crept up on him whenever they were close couldn’t be useful to the mission. They could be used against him and get them both in deep shit if things turned south. 

Duo bumped their shoulders together. Heero tensed. 

When they were kids, they were all around the same height. But now, even though Heero wasn’t the tallest among their group, Duo was undeniably the shortest. He had a good four inches on the other man and could see the top of Duo’s head. It was kinda cute how his natural part let Heero see a peek of white scalp.  _ Oh no, it’s happening again.  _ He carded his fingers through his hair with a sigh. These thoughts always crept into his mind when Duo was around. He shook his head; he needed to get away. 

“What do you think?” Duo looked up at him, then down at the floor. 

Heero started, tensing up like a cat. Could Duo tell what he was thinking? Is that why he looked away? Did he know? Panic rose like a hot wave crashing over his face. 

He must’ve waited too long to answer because Duo was looking back up, staring at him with one eyebrow quirked in question. “02 to 01, come in 01. Are you there?” 

Coughing to clear his throat and buy some time, Heero decided to go with the truth. Duo wouldn’t believe a lie anyway, he could read him like a book. “I’m not sure about this.” 

“Oh. That still bothering you?” Duo stopped walking, shoving his hands in his pockets. He looked back at Une’s office. “We already accepted. You know how Une gets, it’s fine.” 

Heero slowed to a stop. “You’re partners with Kamille now. I think he would be more suited--” 

“Cut the shit.” Duo spun around. “Why do you keep trying to get rid of me? I’m not just good at what I do; I’m the best.” 

“That’s not the point.” 

Duo crossed his arms, glaring. “Isn’t it though? His eyes found the ground again as his voice lost steam,“Why isn’t it enough?” 

He knew what Duo was asking. They’d started off in the Preventers as partners but only lasted a few weeks before Heero requested reassignment. To this day Heero went through partners faster than sand through a sieve and was often left by himself. Duo, on the other hand, had stuck with his next assignment, Kamille.

The unspoken meaning hung over them, filling up space and pressing down on Heero’s shoulders. It made him want to run; to find fresh air and escape this double talk. He was never good with people to begin with, but Duo was like a whole other labyrinth. Unfortunately, he wasn’t the one with the reputation for running away; he was much better at self-destructing. He could feel the lethal words forming in the back of his mind, weaponized and ready. 

“Just because you think you’re the best doesn’t make it true.” He immediately regretted it when Duo’s eyes hardened and his face turned unreadable.

“ _ Look _ .” Duo sucked in a breath through his teeth. “No one is going to be able to do this mission as well as we can. With my stealth and your hacking we’ll be done before Xian knows what hit them.” Duo drew himself up to his full 5’3” and squared his shoulders. “Leaving this mission is the same as compromising it.” 

Heero took in Duo’s words. Let them seep into his skin and worm their way to his core. He was a compromise to the mission no matter what he did. The air conditioner kicked on with a hum, blowing cold air down his neck. He shivered. 

Maybe he could use this mission to finally squash these feelings once and for all. If he could get his emotions under control they could even go back to being partners. Though, Duo did seem quite happy with his current one. There was always a chance. A spark of hope lit in Heero’s chest and he was weak. Weak to those eyes and that smile and that hair and those words. Weak to his own feelings that urged him to do this because it might be his last chance even though the logical part of his brain screamed at him to stop. He didn’t listen. “You’re right.” 

Duo’s mouth hung open. “I am?” 

“I think you are.” Heero smirked. “Let’s meet after lunch to go over the details?” 

Duo snapped his mouth shut with a click and nodded. “Yeah. See you then, ‘Ro.” 

The nickname struck like a bolt. Duo hadn’t called them that for years; not since the war. Heero swallowed. He could handle this. He waved goodbye and walked down the hall to his office. He could do this.  _ This is what’s best for the mission _ . 

~❤~ 

Heero’s office was sparse, not nearly as chic as Une’s or as messy as it was when Duo shared it. He never had a reason to go there after the split, but he could remember all the small knick-knacks the other pilot liked to decorate with. He hung his jacket by the door and sat down. The emptiness was comfortable now. 

With only one half of the room in use and the other half holding an empty desk, it was beyond minimalist. There was everything he needed for work, of course, but he never saw the point of putting a rug on the floor like Quatre or hanging sprawling script about justice like Wufei. Trowa’s was the closest to Heero’s own but even his side had pictures of his time in the circus and outings with Quatre. Plus, Quatre’s things seemed to spill into every corner of the pair’s office. 

Heero wiped the crumbs off his fingers. His delivered sandwich lay half-eaten, but he couldn’t finish it. His stomach was in knots and he couldn’t stop thinking about the mission. It only hit him after he walked in and saw Duo’s old desk that they’d have to pretend to be  _ husbands _ . That meant physical contact at the very least. Clenching his hands at the thought of holding Duo’s, he willed the warmth from his cheeks. He would keep his emotions in check or he’d have to withdraw from the case and if there was one thing Duo was right about; it was that Une made that very difficult. 

He was doomed. 

And he was about to meet his future fake husband in a few minutes.  _ Get yourself together. _ He dug deep inside himself, to the darkest part of his life. Searched for that perfect soldier that still lingered, still itched to fight, and more importantly: still felt nothing. He felt the training take over, relaxed into it. He could trust that well-trained part of him to complete this mission and deal with Duo without worry. Sliding deeper into himself, he let go. 

A brief knock on the door was the only warning before Duo burst in. “Heero! I hope you’re ready because I’ve been researching Xian all lunch and I made us a full itinerary.” He waved a paper marked in colored highlighter in the air with pride. 

Heero looked up from his laptop. “We won’t be needing that.” He turned the laptop to face Duo. Specs for the Xian facility were overlaid with white details showing a path to the goal and all the data they’d need for the infiltration. 

Duo frowned as he sat on the desk, pulling the computer onto his lap. He clicked through it for a moment before frowning. “But this will cut the mission time in half.” 

Nodding, Heero took the computer back and typed. “I’m sending an email to Une now letting her know the new time frame.” 

“No. No you don’t.” Duo slammed the laptop shut and went to snatch it away. 

Heero moved his fingers out of harm's way and wrapped them around the plastic case. Duo tugged, trying to pry it from his grip. They struggled in their tug-of-war, back and forth like children. Duo leaned forward, trying to use the desk as a brace. His braid fell over his shoulder and landed on top of Heero’s arm. It was cold and silky and tickled the fine hairs of his bare skin. 

When had they gotten so close? The braid was practically in his face. He could smell it; the scent of fresh shampoo and damp hair. Duo must’ve showered this morning and all that long hair wouldn’t be dry until tomorrow. He let go. 

Duo teetered on the edge of the desk from the inertia but found his balance as he lifted the prize above his head. “I win.” He smirked down at Heero. 

Stunned, Heero didn’t move. It should’ve worked. His perfect soldier was, well, perfect. Sure, he learned to be himself after the war and to ignore his programing. But, to be able to get through all his walls with a  _ smell _ , impossible. He leaned back in his chair. “Why are you like this?” 

Taking that as surrender, Duo slid his itinerary over. “That’s more like it. So, about my plan.” 

Once Duo left, Heero sat back with a sigh. Duo was… a lot. More than his personality, his appearance seemed to leave him exhausted. It was everything he could do not to touch Duo’s hair or poke his cheeks when they puffed. His skin longed to be intimate with the other man and it was physically painful to hold back. 

Not to mention how stubborn Duo was being about this whole thing. He knew that Duo wanted to go to the resort but his insistence seemed over the top. He had a feeling that the other man would tie him up and drag him there if Heero kept refusing. 

He leaned on his fist and stared at the door Duo had left out of. “You’re such a mystery. Can’t you find someone else to befriend? I’m too broken.”

~❤~

Heero sat in the corner of his room, using his bed as a chair. Condensation dripped from the beer at his side, pooling in the coaster. He was already packed and ready to leave; technically he always was. His room wasn’t much different than his office. A mattress on the floor and a dresser where he stored more tech than clothes were his only furniture.  _ Empty _ was more of a lifestyle choice than he wanted to admit. He mostly kept his clothes in a duffle so he could leave on any mission at the drop of a hat. Which meant he only had the internet and Duo’s paper for company. He took a swig of beer and leaned over his copy of their itinerary. 

The activities started almost immediately after their arrival: dinners, spa trips, and whatever the hell  _ Vice _ was. He’d Google that later. Duo’d gone over the whole thing with him before but if he was being completely honest with himself he couldn’t remember much outside of the soft bow of Duo’s lips as he smiled excitedly down at him from his perch on the desk. 

Heero choked on his beer at the memory. Pounding his chest, he sat the offending bottle down. God, he’d been sitting here way too long doing nothing but remembering his most recent encounter with his ex-partner and staring at the itinerary without absorbing it. 

Duo had put up such a fight about this trip. He’d insisted Heero go no matter what. It was so strange for Duo to care so much about whether or not Heero joined him on a mission. Why this specific mission and why with only himself? His brain was too drunk and too tired to figure it out. With a groan, he flopped back on his mattress. Glass clattered against the concrete floor. 

A moment's hesitation, then Heero flipped onto his side.  _ Fuck it _ . The beer could stain whatever it wanted. He was leaving in the morning and when he got back, maybe it was time for a change. He couldn’t keep this up forever, these feelings were too distracting. Did these feelings happen to everyone? 

Relena had professed both friendship and love for him. Maybe that was how friendship worked? He wasn’t sure what love was exactly, but if everyone felt love for their friends then did they all have it under control? This clawing heat that tore through his stomach seemed wild and raw. He must be weak. Even Relena calmed her pursuit, so he should be able to, too. He was friends with Duo-- with all the Gundam pilots, and that meant it was only a matter of time before the fire inside calmed to embers. 

He remembered Trowa and Quatre during the war going between each other’s rooms and sometimes, he’d catch them holding hands when they thought no one was around. He laced his hands together, mimicking his memory. He ran his thumb over the top of his hand like he’d seen them do to each other. What would it be like to touch Duo this way? He closed his eyes. It was easy to forget that both hands belonged to him, superimposing Duo’s over his own. 

The back of his hand was rough and scarred. His thumb caught on each bump. Had his hands always been this bad? He ripped his hands apart.

Balling his fists into his hair, he let every imperfection itch against his skin until he wanted to peel each scar off. Heero stared up at the ceiling. Cracks lined the crumbling drywall and it was like looking in a mirror. Duo wouldn’t want to touch someone so used by war. Countless self-destructions and captures had left their mark over his whole body. He’d never cared before, but lying here imagining Duo touching him-- shame crashed into his chest. He wouldn’t _ let  _ Duo touch him, and anyway, this was a mission-- there was no reason to be physical even if they were supposed to be undercover. 

“I’ll do what I have to,” he said out loud, making a promise to himself. “Then, when it's over, I’ll have the memories of being together.”  _ Even if it isn’t real _ , stayed unsaid. Letting his muscles relax and laying his arms by his side, he sunk into the mattress. “This will cure me of everything. If it doesn’t and I’m still infected, then I’ll leave.” Closing his eyes, he let sleep overtake him. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What up ya boi on twitter [SailUnchartedWaters](https://twitter.com/SailUnchartd)

~❤~ 

Heero blinked. The preventor’s plane glinted blinding-bright in the early morning light. Duo stepped up next to him, sunglasses protecting his eyes and duffle slung over his shoulder. They were both dressed in casual clothes. Heero had opted for simple jeans and a button down shirt, the one he usually wore when there was a work event. Duo, however, looked like he’d finished up a modeling shoot. Covered head to toe in his signature black, he had a pop of red sticking out of his fitted leather jacket. His hair was french braided into a low bun and long strands fell out of it as if on purpose. There was no way anyone would think they were a couple. They were doomed. 

They boarded the plane without much preamble, the usual rundown of the protocol. Heero’d done it so many times that he could conduct the meeting himself. The aircraft wasn’t lush, but it was private. He stowed his duffle in the overhead baggage before tucking himself into a seat. As soon as they lifted off he’d pull out his laptop to try to finish some paperwork. Opening the window, he watched as the clouds rolled by. 

Soft fingers brushed the back of his hand and he jerked back. Duo was buckled in next to him, looking at him with one eyebrow quirked and a frown lining his face. 

“What are you doing?” His skin tingled with the lingering touch; he rubbed it to rid himself of the sensation. 

Duo lit up with a carefree smile and held out his hand. “I thought we could practice. We’ll need to look like a couple and we both know how bad you are with physical contact.” 

Heero glared, keeping his hand tucked to his chest as if Duo would try to pull it from him. Actually, he wouldn’t put it past the other man. “There’s no need. It’s not a requirement to complete the mission.” 

Duo shifted, opened his mouth, and then put his hand down. “I was hoping--” 

Heero waited for him to finish but he never did. Usually, Duo wouldn’t shut up, but things must’ve changed since they were partners. From the moment of take off to the moment they landed, Duo didn’t say a word. That, more than anything, was unnerving. 

He couldn’t help stealing glances as they collected their baggage. Duo didn’t seem any different from his normal self, outside of the silent treatment, the same grin he always wore was plastered to his face and he was laughing at the flight attendant's jokes as they left. 

Maybe he was being too overly-paranoid. That was probably it. Nothing to worry about. 

They wove through the port, following the signs that pointed them to the single exit that promised a  _ wonderland for partners _ . The halls and escalators grew more crowded and Heero found himself stepping closer to Duo to avoid touching strangers. Their arms brushed now and then while they walked, but it was either that or brushing shoulders with the crowd crushed around them. Duo didn’t seem to notice, he was staring up at the ceiling covered in blown glass flowers and sparkling chandeliers. Even Heero had to admit the sight was impressive. 

The whole port was elegantly romantic. It was the small details, like how all the chairs were paired as loveseats and red seemed to be the main palette. Though it seemed like there were a few bigger ones for polyamorous relationships. That was a new addition, Heero had read in the pamphlet, only this year they’d opened up to including relationships involving more than two people. 

It was nice, he guessed, that they tried to be inclusive even if it was a bit late. Same-sex partners were also a new addition. There were posters now and then showing a queer pairing and announcing that it didn’t matter the couple, the bed was always the same. Heero sped up, not wanting to think about that. He got on the escalator with Duo at his side. The entire wall up to the next floor and reaching even further to the roof was a giant aquarium. He watched an octopus spiral up in time with the escalator while the other fish skittered away. 

“Takoyaki.” 

“Huh?” Heero snapped out of his staring to quirk an eyebrow at Duo. 

“Her name.” Duo pointed to the octopus. “I decided to call her Takoyaki.” 

Breathing in to keep from smiling, Heero looked back at Takoyaki. “Sounds delicious.” 

Duo laughed behind his hand. “That’s not a normal reaction.” 

“You’re the one that named her after food.” 

They fell into silence again as the escalator came to an end. Stepping off, Heero was hyper aware of the couples for the first time. The crowd was huge now and they seemed to be in the main lobby before entering the island resort. Every single last person was holding hands or waists or shoulders or necks. His hand twitched, itching to fit in. He thought it would be easy to blend in without physical contact but there were full makeout sessions happening around them and it was very noticeable that they were in fact  _ not _ touching. 

Well, even if they had to touch Heero would make it was as brief as possible and they would only do it for show. None of that practicing bullshit. They were going to get in and out as fast as possible. Today, if he could make it happen, tomorrow at the latest. 

They filtered through the lines and made it to the gate. Handing over their passports they were stamped, given a VR guide, and sent through without preamble. Une was nothing if not thorough. Heero almost forgot that they were technically undercover it went so smoothly. 

Stepping out from the port and into the platform that looked down over the island was wondrous. The sky was painted in turquoise and pink with fluffy clouds floating over tropical sun. It was endless. 

Directly below them, flowering trees bloomed pink along streets lined with cafes and people sat at round tables sipping tea. To their left the ocean crested against a tiki bar and tiki huts. Heero had thought that in the year 220 society was over appropriation, but apparently not. From what he could see, each block was a different theme. Heero pushed the button on his VR guild and a grid spread out before his eyes. 

The virtual map pointed to a nightlife section, a french district which was the one directly under them.  _ Hawaiian Luau _ was written above the tiki huts, definitely appropriation then. Heero panned until he found the guest quarters. There were other sections and interests, but as soon as he spotted the route to their hotel, he turned to Duo.    
  
“Let’s get checked in and go over our intercept point.” 

“Aw, can’t we at least stop and eat?” Duo was listening to the virtual tour explain about their hand made pastries. 

“You can eat later, we’re on a mission.”

Duo pulled off his VR just to glare at Heero. “When? When the mission is over? That’s  _ days _ ,” Duo whined. “Just one snack, we can eat and walk.”

“ _ Fine. _ ” Heero stomped down the platform, not looking back, and into the French District. 

The street was lined with small house-like shops. Each one was a soft color of pink, lavender, or blue. All of the shops had their names painted in gold on the windows and violin music played from speakers. The street itself was cobblestone of various shades. Birds pecked at crumbs, pausing to watch the passers-by. 

“That one,” Duo said, pointing to a cafe with  _ Pissenlit _ written in blue above the door. 

Heero didn’t have much of a choice. Duo was already running towards the cafe and swinging the door open. The rich and homey smell of baked bread hit him like a fluffy cloud. His mouth watered and Heero didn’t mind the idea as much as he had a moment ago.

Duo ordered a coffee and a flamiche. Heero was impressed with his pronunciation and too embarrassed when it was his turn to order. He pointed at the menu and added a tea since it seemed like they were going to eat there,  _ even though Duo had promised to walk and eat. _ Whatever. The faster this was over the faster they could get the whole mission over with.

They ended up spending an hour there. Heero had to admit that it was kinda nice. The place had live piano music and everyone spoke in hushed voices. It was quite calming. He was almost disappointed when he lifted up his cup to find it empty. He’d been so into the music and the soft chatter that he hadn’t realized they both finished their food.

Duo stood up and stretched. “Ready to check out our digs?”

Heero’s eyes caught the flash of skin as Duo’s shirt raised. He coughed. “Yes. We still have to sweep the room for bugs and set up surveillance. 

~❤~ 

The hotel was lush. It looked like the places Relena would stay when he bodyguard for her. Pretty, but awful to secure. On the flip side, that meant it was awful for the bad guys too. There would be holes everywhere for them to do their mission. He smiled to himself. 

Duo led them to their room and slipped in the keycard. They both piled in, exhausted and ready to nap. The hotel room was an unoffending beige with a living room and kitchenette. It was bigger than Heero’s apartment. A door on the other side of the room probably led to the bedroom. He was pretty sure Une had gotten them the cheapest room here.

Dropping his luggage on the floor, they both sat about doing a room sweep. Two bugs and a hidden camera later, the apartment was clean. Heero set up their own surveillance and linked it to his laptop so they could watch their room while they were away. Heero was sitting on the couch reviewing the set up when Duo picked up his bags and gave him an apologetic smile. 

“I’m going to take a nap. Can’t be the God of Death without rest.” 

Heero nodded. He should probably unpack anyways. He closed his laptop and followed Duo to the next room. It opened up into a bathroom with a connected shower room. He could see a bathtub big enough for two and a rain showerhead behind the foggy glass. 

They took a left through another door. Duo stopped; Heero tried but failed, bumping into him. He looked around the braided boy to see what was wrong. 

The bedroom was huge, probably the biggest section of the hotel room. The walls were painted a lusty red and romanticly useless curtains hung in the window. There was a dresser pushed up against the far wall with another door that was probably a closet. A huge painting of a Bacchanalia orgy hung over the four-post bed. Singular. One bed. 

Heero mentally slapped himself. Of course, there would only be one bed, this was an island resort for  _ couples _ . Why would anyone need two beds? 

“Woah this thing is huge.” Duo flopped on the bed and stretched out, shirt pulling up over his hip. 

Back in their war days Duo normally slept in his underwear. Heero wondered if now that they were older, Duo would feel the need to be more modest. Overall the hotel was nice enough, but the atmosphere was not helping.

“I’ll sleep on the couch.”

“What?” Duo sat up on his elbows. “Don’t be silly. We’ve shared a bed a million times.”   
Heero looked up at the painting of debauchery. “No. I think it’s best if I’m on the couch.”

“Are you…” Duo followed his eyes. “Worried that I’ll try something?”

“No!” God, no. The complete opposite. But there was no way he could admit that. “I just think it’s better if we keep to ourselves since we’re not partners.”

“Right. That.” Duo flopped back and turned away. “Fine. Take the couch. G’night.”

Heero hesitated. Duo’s back was muscular and his red shirt showed off his shoulders. He made a fist so he wouldn’t be tempted to touch. “G’night, Duo.” 

~❤~ 

Yawning, Duo threw the covers off and stumbled his way to the bathroom. Heero snorted softly from the living room, still asleep on the couch. He grumbled to himself, grabbing his toothbrush. This was worse than not being partners if he was being honest. At least when they were in the office he could pretend. But here, interacting with Heero every day was a constant reminder that he’d been cast aside. Even his touch seemed to disgust him. This whole trip was a nightmare. 

Heero woke to the sounds of water running in the bathroom. For a moment he was disoriented, blinking at an unfamiliar ceiling fan and listening to the unfamiliar sounds of another human puttering around his space. When he remembered where he was, he sighed and sat up, knuckling the groggy, sandy feeling of a bad night’s sleep from his eyes. His back ached, his neck felt strained, and with some surprise he realized that he was actually getting too old to just fall asleep anywhere and be fine at a moment’s notice. It hadn’t even been that long since the war, and here he was, mentally grumbling about lumbar support. 

He checked his watch and glanced up at the bathroom. It seemed early for Duo to be awake, but hell, what did he know anymore. Maybe Duo was an early riser these days - or maybe he hadn’t slept much either. 

Resignedly, Heero stood from the couch and cracked his neck, heading for the little kitchenette. At the very least, he could make them both coffee. Looked like they were both going to need it. 

Face washed and teeth brushed Duo felt halfway to human. At least human enough to confront Heero so early in the morning. Though he'd prefer to do it with a strong cup of caffeine as backup. He sniffed. Was that coffee? 

"Mornin' Ro." Duo flopped onto the barstool watching Heero pour two cups. "Oh my God, you're my hero, Heero." 

The corner of Heero’s mouth twitched as he set a mug in front of Duo and turned the handle toward him. “It’s just a leftover survival instinct. We all learned fast not to talk to you before coffee during the war.” 

The word leftover snagged, and it sounded so sad and so final that Heero found himself backpedaling to try and erase it. “How did you sleep?” 

“Fine. How was the couch?”Duo took a long sip of coffee, sighing. It wasn’t great, just the packet that came free with the room, but anything was better than nothing. He’d definitely had worse. There was no way Duo would ever complain about a bed to sleep in and a roof over his head. There’d been too many times in his life he’d had neither. 

Heero shrugged a shoulder and then winced as his neck twinged. Knowing Duo’s sharp eyes, there was no way he hadn’t noticed, so Heero had no choice but to tell the truth. “Fine, just cramped. I remember being able to fall asleep in Wing or the back of a truck no problem. Not anymore.” He took a long sip of his coffee and frowned at the cup. “For the price of the stay, you would think the coffee might be better.” 

He’d never been one for small talk - they all knew that. Duo knew that, and even Heero knew that he was being unusually chatty. Still, there was something about making Duo coffee and the tangled mess of his bedhead braid that weakened his resolve to keep things cool and professional. 

Fiddling with his mug, Duo pressed his lips together. Did he dare? He blew his bangs out of his eyes and stood up. “Sit on the floor, I’ll fix it for you.” He didn’t look behind him as he carried his mug to the couch. Heat flared on his cheeks and his heart pounded in his chest, this was crazy. They were close, yeah, anyone would be after nearly dying together, but touching Heero in the past usually got him a gun in the face. 

He sat down, balancing the mug on the couch’s arm and looked back at Heero, still frozen in the kitchenette.

Heero stared at Duo in disbelief. Was this really happening? 

Duo squeezed his fingers enticingly, miming a back massage. “Well?” 

When Duo wiggled his fingers, his resolve broke. With a careful air of professionalism that screamed ‘this is medical assistance and totally relevant to the mission’ he sat his cup down and walked over. Folding his legs neatly under him, he sat on the floor. 

Duo’s hands were ice. Little goosebumps sprouted across his skin and he shivered. Was it that cold in here? Maybe he should turn up the heat. 

His fingers dug into the hard muscles of his neck and shoulders. Years of hardened stress melted under Duo's hands. Heero felt his eyes start to drift closed as a low moan escaped his throat. 

He sat up straight, squaring his shoulders and snapping his eyes open. That was close, he almost lost his composure. 

A sharp elbow dug into the crook of his neck. "Dude, it's like you're made out of granite. Relax." 

"I can't relax." Heero shifted before Duo's elbow could strike again. The elbow missed its mark and slipped down his back, the forearm pulling at his tanktop and choking him. 

The slip had left Duo half hanging over his shoulder. "If you can't relax then this isn't going to work. Aren't you Heero Yuy, savior of the world and all the colonies? A little massage is nothing." His hand lingered, a ghost's touch over the fabric. Strands of messy braid, half undone by sleep, tickled Heero's arm. 

Heero jumped up, putting a fair distance between himself and his partner. "I'm fine." 

"If you can't handle even this much, how are you going to fool Oscar?" Duo slumped back into the couch, crossing his arms. 

“He’s a low level arms dealer, not OZ. We’d already be done with this mission if we’d stuck to my plan.” 

“A low--” Duo guffawed, throwing up his arms. He pointed at Herro. “This man might not be OZ but he’s running the first large scale arms operation since the war. Right in the Preventor’s backyard. Une wouldn’t have sent us if this was going to be quick. Your plan takes too many chances, like they always do.” 

Quiet anger sunk into his bones and he glowered at Duo. Who did he think he was? “And yours is a bad excuse to play on a mission.” 

“We need to get close to him so we can have proof. Catch him in the act.” Duo stood up, getting in Heero’s face. “Just because that includes schmoozing over drinks is not my fault. I haven't had a vacation in years. So, I’m going to schmooze and I’m going to drink and I’m going to do this mission with or without you.” He turned and marched out of the room, slamming the bedroom door. 

Heero was having none of this tantrum, however. He needed Duo on his side, for the sake of the mission and the sake of his own sanity. They had to do this his way. Anything else was just...out of the question. 

So he stormed into the bedroom, not bothering to knock. With one hand braced on the doorframe, he leaned toward Duo and demanded, “Tell me right now what your problem with me is so we can get past this. We have to be on the same page or someone is going to get killed, so get it out of your system.” 

Duo stopped mid pants-grab, whirling around as Heero got in his face. His eyes turned to slits as a shadow fell across his features. “Fuck you.” He pushed passed Heero, shoulder checking him on the way out. “This is your problem.” He stuck one leg in, hopping as he made his way to the door. “You’re so obsessed with the mission and getting brownie points from your princess that you become a nightmare.” Duo stuck his other leg in and zipped up his pants. “Our problem isn’t me and it never was.” 

Heero scowled. “That’s bullshit. You’re being unreasonable. What else would we be doing here other than completing the mission? You want a vacation, take one. This isn’t the time.” He reached out and grabbed Duo’s wrist with more force than he’d intended, but dammit, Duo wasn’t listening. 

Duo spun his wrist, breaking free. He spun Heero, pulling his arm behind his back and pushing him away. Duo had the advantage of surprise but he’d never be able to beat Heero in a one-on-one fight. Heero caught himself faster than Duo hoped. Only one option left. Run. He turned and bolted, slamming the door behind him. 

“Childish, cowardly son of a-“ Heero started, but as quickly as it had risen, all his anger dissipated with the realization that he’d been the one to make Duo angry in the first place. Duo had been offering him a massage, which was...well, it was sweet. It was Duo. Deflating, Heero scrubbed at the back of his head, wondering how in the hell he was going to figure this one out. 

It was hours before Duo returned. Herro was on his laptop and typing a report, deleting it, and typing it again. When he came back he was rosy cheeked and grinning. 

“Heero! My man, you’re here. I was looking all over for you.”

“You’re drunk.”

“Drunk is part of the job.” Duo swayed in the doorway. His braid had come undone. Long auburn locks flowed over his shoulders and down his very bare chest.

“And where is your shirt?”

“Shirt?” Duo looked down as if he didn’t know what Heero was talking about. “Oh. I lost it.”

“You lost it.” Heero raised an eyebrow.

“It’s not important.” Duo stumbled in, letting the door shut behind him. “This guy wanted to borrow it so I let him, but then someone else wanted to dance and I lost him. So, therefore, also the shirt.”

Heero slammed the laptop shut. “You’re compromising the mission.”

“Oh no. What are you going to do, tell Une?” Duo said in a mocking high pitched voice. “Tell her. Maybe then I can get my Heero back.”

“What?”

Duo didn’t say anything. He slumped to the floor and started to build himself a bed out of shoes. 

“Okay, let’s get you cleaned up. C’mon.” Heero slung Duo’s arm over his shoulder and walked him to the bedroom. He sat him on the toilet seat in the adjoining bathroom. Duo’s head fell against the cool wall, and he blissfully pressed his cheek against it.

All Duo wanted to do was sleep but every time he squeezed his eyes shut nausea rushed back. He swayed on the seat, almost tipping over.

“Woah, careful.” Heero’s hands were gentle as righted Duo.

Duo stared at the side of the tub, hands firmly gripping porcelain for dear life. It didn't help. Nothing seemed to help. He was  _ never _ drinking emotionally again.

After that, his drunkenness didn’t let him see anything but flashes. The toilet, the bathtub, Heero leaning over him and holding his hair, a soothing and calm voice.

It wasn't until he was standing in the middle of the hotel bedroom, clutching a bundle of clothes, that he could fully open his eyes without danger of vomiting. He tried desperately to avoid looking at Heero, who was only wearing sweatpants pulled low over his hips. It was no use, the line of hair from his belly button that dipped down into unknown territory begged to be touched. He bet the hair was soft with lush curls. Duo rubbed his eyes; the world was much more blurry than it should’ve been.

Heero brought him to the bed and tucked him in. That was the last thing Duo saw.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter 2 is up! woo!
> 
> The holidays are making it kinda hard to post, but i'll try to get everything up in a good amount of time
> 
> Check me out on twitter! [SailUnchartedWaters](https://twitter.com/SailUnchartd)

**Author's Note:**

> Hey thanks for reading! Please leave a kudos if you liked it and I love to get comments!! It really makes writing worth it <3
> 
> Special thanks for the fantastic and wonderful [Page of Wands](https://page-of-wands11.tumblr.com) who has been a joy to work with. Her art is to die for and it was just good feelings all around gushing over 1x2 
> 
> Be sure to follow me on twitter!! [SailUnchartedWaters](https://twitter.com/SailUnchartd)


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